Apple has been sued over its decision to abandon a system that would scan iCloud photos for child sexual abuse material (CSAM).
According to the New York Times, the lawsuit argues that companies must do more to prevent the spread of this material. Otherwise, victims are put at risk again and forced to relive their trauma. The lawsuit says that Apple had advertised “an improved plan aimed at protecting children” but is not “implementing that plan and taking steps to identify and contain” CSAM material.
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Apple first announced the scanning system in 2021, explaining that it would use digital signatures from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children and other groups to identify known CSAM content in iCloud libraries users'. However, the company appeared to abandon those plans after a backlash from security and privacy advocates. Some argued that it could pave the way for increased surveillance or abuse by authoritarian governments.
The new lawsuit alleges the system was not implemented, and comes from a 27-year-old woman, who is suing Apple under a pseudonym. She said a relative abused her as a baby and shared photos of her online. The woman says she still receives alerts from law enforcement almost every day about someone being charged with possession of the material.
See also: Apple accused of illegally monitoring employees
Attorney James Marsh, who is involved in the lawsuit, said there is a potential group of 2,680 victims who could be entitled to compensation in this case.
Apple reportedly said it is "fighting to combat these crimes without compromising the security and privacy of all users."
However, in August, a 9-year-old girl and her guardian also sued Apple, accusing the company of failing to address CSAM material in iCloud.
The distribution of child sexual abuse is a serious and sensitive issue. Many countries and organizations are working to combat its spread. Child protection organizations receive millions of reports of the distribution of such material every year. With these alarming statistics, it is clear that more needs to be done to address the problem.
See also: How to create an Apple Account for your child?
Technology has undoubtedly played a significant role in facilitating the dissemination of sexual abuse material, but it also has the potential to help detect and prevent it. The use of artificial intelligence and other advanced technologies can help identify and remove illegal content from platforms at a much faster rate than manual review. However, the implementation of these tools must be done carefully, with strict privacy safeguards.
Source: techcrunch.com
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